They did it! The Project Management Institute (PMI) now has over 400,000 active Project Management Professionals (PMPs). Source: PMI Today
When I look at the data from the last 4 years, the certification velocity has remained relatively consistent. For the month of September, it dropped by over 1,000 from the recent average. Still, overall PMP credential holders increased by 2,681. There are now a total of 400,059active PMPs.
Congratulations to all of those who reached their goal to obtain the credential. (When I was at the PMI North American Congress a few weeks ago, they were quick to point out that the PMP is not a certification. It's a credential.) For those who now have, or intend to get, their credential, I want you to think about your motivation for a minute. Why did/do you want the PMP®? What value does it have?
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
New PMPs (Overall)
3,714
3,713
5,344
4,718
3,985
4,630
3,687
3,965
2,681
Total Active PMPs
367,619
371,014
375,959
381,111
385,096
389,726
393,413
397,378
400,059
Mastery-based Learning and the Paradox of the Credential
I recently read Dan Pink's book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. It really made me ask myself about the certification process.What is your goal in getting the PMP or any other certification or credential? Are we trying to discover better ways to deliver value to customers or just trying to get a piece of paper and a few extra letters after our names? Some are pursuing the mastery of performance-based objectives versus learning-based objectives (ie. getting a passing score on a certification exam versus being a good manager or leader).
You can read more about how I see the PMP credential influencing other organizations and their certifications, over at the Agile Scout website, where I discuss the State of Agile .
Disclaimer: The link to the book is an affiliate link. If you buy a copy, I could make $1